Natalie Music interview translated, Part 1 of 3Mie, Moekov, COCO on the folding couch – Kiyoshi Arai photo for Natalie MusicTHE LET'S GO's New album
Born under the influence of an extraordinary "HATE"2016 ?? for Natalie Music Power Push
natalie.mu/music/pp/theletsgosReporting and text / Akira Mochizuki Photography / Kiyoshi Arai
THE LET'S GO's have released their 3rd album,
I HATE THE LET'S GO's.Since their previous work
REAMP!, it's been 4 years 8 months from that album to this. The full-speed punk tune "Otsukaresama Song" graces the pop opening, the oldies-flavored girly chorus of the striking "Summer Girl" floats by, and then there's the exhilarating Motown tone of "Ding Dong" with its shuffle beat — it's steeped in vivid music that gives a feel for the band's breadth.
Natalie Music interviewed the girls, who celebrate the 10th anniversary of their formation this year. We spoke in depth about the band's origins, up to the latest album.
Start of band activities with the parts still undecided── As it's your debut appearance with Natalie Music, first please tell us the prehistory of how the band was formed.COCO(Vo, G) A long time ago I was studying in the US, so I went to a live house over there for some special recreation. The time period was right around the closing of the club CBGB in New York. As I was there watching all the bands, the thought came to me that I wanted to be in a band myself. So when I looked at a Members Wanted website, and I found a notice from THE LET'S GO's original bassist recruiting girls, I thought that was perfect and I wanted to do it.
── What sort of thing had they written? COCO "Girls wanted to play rock 'n' roll in public for fun and dancing, and so on." She mentioned a band named The Strikes as an example of what she wanted to do, so since I also loved garage punk music, I wanted to try it together no matter what. After that we kept in touch, and formed a band on the timing of my return home. That was around June of 2006. But at the time, nothing had been decided about parts or anything.
── But you tried to put together a band anyway (laughs). COCO Right (laughs). So I wanted to play the guitar, and I asked to be in charge of guitar.
── What did you do about finding a drummer?It happened that when I was studying in America I had a friend who was studying abroad with me, and when this person showed me a DVD of their high school graduation performances, several bands came out on it and in one of them Moe-chan (YAMADA Moekov / Dr, Vo) was playing drums. When I saw her image I felt a "ping" and I thought, "We could get this girl to play drums." So we began a copy-band from there.
── What band were you copying?COCO The very first thing we copied was a song by an instrumental-only band called Jackie & the Cedrics. The girl on bass said, "This song we could probably do soon, couldn't we?" It's likely the simplest tune of all from the Cedrics, and she taught me the song. After that, things like songs by the 5.6.7.8's. The three of us practiced fiercely.
── How long was it from formation to your first live show?COCO It was about 4 months. Morgana in Kokubunji was taking people for an event at the livehouse. Speaking of the first show, it was a battle of the bands with Kegawa no Maries
<The Fur Maries – Kegawa no Maries ceased in 2011 and their lead singer went to Emi Morimoto's favorites, the dresscodes (now also defunct)>.
Mie (B, Vo) It's my first time hearing this! So that was it.
COCO Yeah. Looking back on it, they asked us to go together with an incredible band. Right now, we have a release from our label (DECKREC), and the Maries have announced an album at the same time <on the same label>. I sense some kind of mysterious link between us.
── After that, band activities were on track?COCO That's right. We were doing more live dates constantly every month. However, Moe-chan left shortly after we formed.
YAMADA Moekov (Dr, Vo) What was it, about four months after?
COCO The first time you were invited, Moe-chan didn't think she wanted to do straight rock 'n' roll, isn't that right?
Moekov Yeah. At the time, I was in the midst of my very own prog-rock boom. I wanted to do terribly complicated music. I got bored with 8-to-the-bar. So I quit one time.
Return of the drummer, through many twists and turns── In 2008 you participated with a collection of girl bands in the compilation album Girls Sazanami Beat! Vol.1.
The following year with the release of your first album LET'S GO with THE LET'S GO's
, the band began to be the center of a lot of buzz among garage punk fans. How did you respond to that environment? What was it like?
COCO Playing together live was going well and I was happy with the people in the band. But the most exciting thing was that it was our own. We were even doing the merchandise line for after shows on record release tours. Selling CDs hand to hand, realizing the fact that a lot of people were listening to our album, I was really glad.
── 2010 was the year of Moekov-san's return, and then a change of bass players to Mie-san, resulting in the current lineup. In the first place, Moekov-san left fed up with the 8-beat. How did you come back to the band and why? Moekov It was because I broke up with the man I was dating at the time.
Everyone Ahahahaha! (laughter)
Moekov I came to love progressive rock under the influence of my old boyfriend. After I left THE LET'S GO's, I planned to polish up my drum arm under the supervision of Asa-Chang of the original SkaPara <the jazz band TSPO, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra>, but as I was walking along through the drumming school, I thought,
terribly complicated playing is impossible for you (laughs). With that timing, since they asked me I came back.
COCO Then, a little later Mie-chan came in and the members became as they are now.
── Was Mie-san acquainted with any of the members before joining?Mie I was watching the shows, but we weren't properly acquainted. I heard from someone I knew, "It seems they're looking for a bass player." When I heard that — "I'll do it! I'll do it!"
COCO Mie-chan had a pretty different image from now. At the time you joined, your image was like Shizuka-chan from
Doraemon (laughs). Which is to say, super neat and clean, an obedient girl.
Mie I was kind of straitlaced for about a year (laughs). Even when we were practicing in the studio, the feeling was like, "ever so pleased to have met you."
COCO Personally, between the modest figure in the studio and the figure playing violently on stage, the gap is enormous. Speaking of violence in performance, though, Mie-chan
has now become completely tempestuous.
Mie I've been playing violently on stage, the way it appears now, for about the past year. I feel like I've gradually become been getting more violent over the last 2 years.
COCO I feel like the consciousness of all the members at live shows changed from about there.
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